Improved fleece-folder



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES W. RUDGERS, OF BREOKSVILLE, OHIO.

IMPRovED FLEECE-FOLDER.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 50,040, dated September 19, 1865.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, C. W. RUDGERS, of Brecksville, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fleece-Folders; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and complete description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figures l and 2 are top views of 4the machine in different positions. Fig. 3 is a side view.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several views.

My improvement relates to the construction and operation of a machine for folding ileeces of wool, as hereinafter described.

The machine is suitably supported on standards or legs A. (Seen in Fig. 3.) Ais a table fastened ou cross-pieces B B underneath that project beyond the sides, as shown in Fig. 2, forming supports for leaves C O, that are hinged at a to the sides of the table.

At one endV of the table is hinged, at c o, a head-block, D, which is made of an upright piece, e, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2and indicated by the dotted lines c in Fig. 3, secured at the lower end to a piece, e', at right angles to it, which piece is hinged to the' table, so that the head can be turned over and down, as in Fig. 1. At the other end of the table is a follower or tail-block, H, that is formed in a similar manner to the head-block, with an upright piece, g, and right-angled piece g', which fits down and moves along on the top of the I(able, there being tongues r on the sides of the piece g that .tit into and move in grooves c in the leaves C when they are turned up, keeping the follower in place as it is moved either way.

F is a strap or belt extending along on top of the table about the middle under the fol-- lower at one end, to which it is attached, and passes over a roller, t', in the end of the machine down round a shaft, i', on which it winds up, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 3. The other end of the strap passes down under the headblock, and is secured to a shaft, L, that has its bearings in pieces f of the frame, and on one end is a crank-handle, k, by which it is turned.

these in the head-block, in which are put cords m, or twine, the cords being rst pnt through holes at one end ofthe machine in the piece o. There are holes also (seen at r', Fig. 1) in one of the leaves C, through which cords n are put,

and there are slots r in the other leaf oppositethe holes, in which the cords n are adjusted to hold them in place while the fleece is being compressed.

It will be observed that the longitudinal cords m and transverse cords n cross each other at right angles.

h is a clamp hinged to the support B', as seen at or, Fig. 3, that can be turned up on the outside of the leaves C to secure them in the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

d d are cleats on the upper or inside of the leaves, against which the head comes when the leaves and head-block are turned up.

The manner of using this machine as constructed is as follows: In the first place the cords fm or pieces of twine are put through the holes in the piece o and adjusted down through the slots in the follower and head-block, as before stated, onto the table, and the cords fn connected to the leaves arranged across, as represented, the leaves being turned down, resting on the supports B B', and the headblock turned down, as in Fig. 1. The iieece is then spread out on the table, with the sides on the leaves and the head toward the headblock, when both sides or skirts of the iieece are folded over toward the center and the head part down on the body, when the headblock D is turned up and the strings m drawn forward through the slots. The leaves C of the table are next folded up, as in Figs. 2 and 3, and secured by turning up the clamp h. The butt end of the iieece is then folded up toward the head-block, when, by turning the crank R, the follower H, by means of the strap to move bank at once to its former position,

when the bundle can beremoved and the leaves and head let down and the twine adjusted through the slots, prepared for another eece.

The machine is fed with twine from balls Z at the side and end, there being two, three, or more at each place, according to the number otlongitudinal and transverse strings required in tying the bundles, the strings having simply to be drawn from the balls and adj usted through the slots each time.

In place of the spring` R to move the follower baci; the belt or strap F may be extended round under the table and att-ached to the shaft L in front, so that by reversing the motion of the crank the follower would be drawn back; or there can be a Weight connected to the table to accomplish the same purpose.

What I claim as my improvement, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The hinged head-block D and'adjustable follower H, in combination with the leaves C, strap F, and spring R or its equivalent, operating as and for the purpose set forth.

CHARLES W. RUDGERS. Witnesses:

W. H. BURRIDGE, A. W. MGGLELLAND. 

